Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) are widely recognized as the next-generation power source for electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage, offering high energy density and excellent safety. However, their commercialization has long been limited by the low ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes and poor interfacial stability at the solid–solid interface between electrodes and electrolytes. Despite significant progress in improving ionic conductivity, interfacial failure under high current density or low-temperature operation remains a major bottleneck. A research team led by Prof. Feiyu Kang, Prof. Yanbing He, Assoc. Prof. Wei Lü, and Asst. Prof. Tingzheng Hou from the Institute of Materials Research, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS), in collaboration with Prof. Quanhong Yang from Tianjin University, has proposed a novel design concept of a ductile solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) to tackle this challenge. Their study, entitled “A ductile solid electrolyte interphase for solid-state batteries”, was recently published in Nature.     CIQTEK FE-SEM Enables High-Resolution Interface Characterization In this study, the research team utilized the CIQTEK Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM4000X) for microstructural characterization of the solid–solid interface. CIQTEK’s FE-SEM provided high-resolution imaging and excellent surface contrast, enabling researchers to precisely observe the morphology evolution and interfacial integrity during electrochemical cycling.     Ductile SEI: A New Pathway Beyond the "Strength-Only" Paradigm Traditional inorganic-rich SEIs, though mechanically stiff, tend to suffer from brittle fracture during cycling, leading to lithium dendrite growth and poor interfacial kinetics. The Tsinghua team broke away from the “strength-only” paradigm by emphasizing “ductility” as a key design criterion for SEI materials. Using the Pugh’s ratio (B/G ≥ 1.75) as an indicator of ductility and AI-assisted screening, they identified silver sulfide (Ag₂S) and silver fluoride (AgF) as promising inorganic components with superior deformability and low lithium-ion diffusion barriers. Building on this concept, the researchers developed an organic–inorganic composite solid electrolyte containing AgNO₃ additives and Ag/LLZTO (Li₆.₇₅La₃Zr₁.₅Ta₀.₅O₁₂) fillers. During battery operation, an in-situ displacement reaction transformed the brittle Li₂S/LiF SEI components into ductile Ag₂S/AgF layers, forming a gradient “soft-outside, strong-inside” SEI structure. This multi-layered design effectively dissipates interfacial stress, maintains structural integrity under harsh conditions, and promotes uniform lithium deposition.   Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the component screening and functional mechanism of the ductile SEI during solid-state battery cycling.   Figure 2. Structur...

Recently, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi in recognition of “their development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).” The three laureates created molecular structures with enormous internal spaces, allowing gases and other chemical species to flow through them. These structures, known as Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), have applications ranging from extracting water from desert air and capturing carbon dioxide, to storing toxic gases and catalyzing chemical reactions. Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a class of crystalline porous materials formed by metal ions or clusters linked via organic ligands (Figure 1). Their structures can be envisioned as a three-dimensional network of “metal nodes + organic linkers,” combining the stability of inorganic materials with the design flexibility of organic chemistry. This versatile construction allows MOFs to be composed of almost any metal from the periodic table and a wide variety of ligands, such as carboxylates, imidazolates, or phosphonates, enabling precise control over pore size, polarity, and chemical environment.   Figure 1. Schematic of a Metal–Organic Framework   Since the first permanent-porosity MOFs appeared in the 1990s, thousands of structural frameworks have been developed, including classic examples like HKUST-1 and MIL-101. They exhibit ultrahigh specific surface areas and pore volumes, offering unique properties for gas adsorption, hydrogen storage, separation, catalysis, and even drug delivery. Some flexible MOFs can undergo reversible structural changes in response to adsorption or temperature, showing dynamic behaviors such as “breathing effects.” Thanks to their diversity, tunability, and functionalization, MOFs have become a core topic in porous materials research and provide a solid scientific foundation for studying adsorption performance and characterization methods.   MOFs Characterization The fundamental characterization of MOFs typically includes powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns to determine crystallinity and phase purity, and nitrogen (N₂) adsorption/desorption isotherms to validate the pore structure and calculate apparent surface area. Other commonly used complementary techniques include: Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA): Evaluates thermal stability and can estimate pore volume in some cases. Water Stability Tests: Assesses structural stability in water and across different pH conditions. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): Measures crystal size and morphology, and can be combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for elemental composition and distribution. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy: Analyzes overall sample purity and can quantify ligand ratios in mixed-ligand MOFs. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES): Determines sample purity and elemental ratios. Diffuse Reflect...

With the acceleration of industrialization and the continuous growth of pollutant emissions, organic wastewater poses a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. Statistics show that energy consumption from industrial wastewater treatment accounts for 28% of global water treatment energy use. However, conventional Fenton technology suffers from catalyst deactivation, leading to low treatment efficiency. Metal-based catalysts in advanced oxidation processes face common bottlenecks: the redox cycling process cannot be effectively sustained, electron transfer pathways are restricted, and traditional preparation methods rely on high temperature and high pressure with yields of only 11–15%.   To address these challenges, a research team from Dalian University of Technology developed a Cu-C nanocatalyst by directionally coupling commercial cellulose with copper ions using a wet-chemical galvanic replacement method. They further established a novel degradation system featuring a dual-channel catalytic mechanism (radical pathway + direct electron transfer) and broad pH adaptability. The material achieved 65% tetracycline degradation within 5 minutes (vs. <5% by commercial catalysts), with copper ion leaching below 1.25 mg/L (lower than the national standard of 2.0 mg/L). In a packed-bed reactor (PTR), over 99% pollutant removal was achieved within a residence time of only 20 seconds. By enabling sustained catalytic activity through the direct electron transfer pathway, this approach overcame the long-standing issue of poor environmental adaptability in traditional catalysts.   The study, entitled “Robust dual-channel catalytic degradation relying on organic pollutants via Cu-C composites with directional electron harvest and classical radical species generation”, was published in Chemical Engineering Journal. Cu-C Nanocatalyst Formation Using commercial cellulose as the support, the team incorporated copper ions via a wet-chemical galvanic replacement method to construct Cu-C nanocomposites with dual-channel catalytic activity. Characterizations revealed unique electron transfer effects under various conditions. SEM imaging (CIQTEK SEM5000) revealed the microstructural evolution: pristine cellulose exhibited a disordered network, which, after composite formation, transformed into 10 nm copper spheres that self-assembled into 100 nm hierarchical aggregates. This structure ensured high dispersion and electron transport. SEM-EDS confirmed uniform element distribution. FTIR spectra revealed a Cu₂O peak at 682.31 cm⁻¹ due to redox reactions during synthesis. The presence of C=C, C=O, and C–H groups further supported the findings, while a strong –OH peak was observed at 3200–3600 cm⁻¹. XPS analysis indicated that Cu 2p signals were primarily from Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ and Cu₂O, with C 1s showing C=C and C–C bonds, consistent with FTIR results.   Figure 1. Preparation and Characterization of the C...

At Ningbo University’s Institute of Intelligent Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, researchers are tackling real-world medical challenges by merging materials science, biology, medicine, information technology, and engineering. The Institute has quickly become a hub for wearable and remote healthcare innovations, advanced medical imaging, and intelligent analysis, intending to turn lab breakthroughs into real clinical impact. Pushing the Frontiers of Bioprinting with CIQTEK SEM Recently, Dr. Lei Shao, Executive Vice Dean of the Institute, shared highlights of his research journey and how CIQTEK's cutting-edge SEM is fueling his team’s discoveries. CIQTEK SEM at Ningbo University’s Institute of Intelligent Medicine and Biomedical Engineering Printing the Future: From Miniature Hearts to Vascular Networks Since 2016, Dr. Shao has been pioneering biomanufacturing and 3D bioprinting, with the goal of engineering living, functional tissues outside the human body. His team’s work spans from 3D-printed miniature hearts to complex vascularized structures, with applications in drug screening, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. A 3D-printed miniature heart   Backed by funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and local research agencies, his lab has introduced several breakthroughs: Smart bioprinting strategies: Using fluid rope-coiling effects with coaxial bioprinting to fabricate microfibers with controlled morphology, enabling the creation of vascular organoids. Cryopreservable cell microfibers: Developing standardized, scalable, and cryopreservable cellular microfibers through coaxial bioprinting, with high potential for 3D cell culture, organoid fabrication, drug screening, and transplantation. Sacrificial bioinks: Printing mesoscopic porous networks using sacrificial microgel bioinks, building nutrient pathways for effective oxygen/nutrient delivery. Complex vascular systems: Constructing complex vascular networks with coaxial bioprinting while inducing in-situ endothelial cell deposition, solving challenges in vascularization of complex structures. Anisotropic tissues: Creating anisotropic tissues using shear-oriented bioinks and pre-shearing printing methods. High-cell-density constructs: Proposing an original liquid-particle support bath printing technique for high-cell-density bioinks, achieving lifelike bioactive tissues while overcoming the long-standing trade-off between printability and cell viability in extrusion-based bioprinting. These advances are paving the way toward functional, transplantable tissues, and potentially even engineered organs.   Accelerating Discovery with CIQTEK SEM With science advancing rapidly, biomedical research stands at the forefront of innovation. Higher efficiency often leads to greater breakthroughs. According to Dr. Shao, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is one of the most indispensable scientific instruments at the Institute. Since adopt...

Recently, a team led by Dr. Wang Haomin from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences made significant progress in studying the magnetism of zigzag graphene nanoribbons (zGNRs) using a CIQTEK Scanning Nitrogen-vacancy Microscope (SNVM).   Building on previous research, the team pre-etched hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with metal particles to create oriented atomic trenches and used a vapor-phase catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to controllably prepare chiral graphene nanoribbons in the trenches, obtaining ~9 nm wide zGNRs samples embedded in the hBN lattice. By combining SNVM and magnetic transport measurements, the team directly confirmed its intrinsic magnetism in experiments. This groundbreaking discovery lays a solid foundation for the development of graphene-based spin electronic devices. The related research findings, titled "Signatures of magnetism in zigzag graphene nanoribbons embedded in a hexagonal boron nitride lattice," have been published in the prestigious academic journal "Nature Materials".     Graphene, as a unique two-dimensional material, exhibits magnetic properties of p-orbital electrons that are fundamentally different from the localized magnetic properties of d/f orbital electrons in traditional magnetic materials, opening up new research directions for exploring pure carbon-based magnetism. Zigzag graphene nanoribbons (zGNRs), potentially possessing unique magnetic electronic states near the Fermi level, are believed to hold great potential in the field of spin electronics devices. However, detecting the magnetism of zGNRs through electrical transport methods faces multiple challenges. For instance, nanoribbons assembled from the bottom up are often too short in length to reliably fabricate devices. Additionally, the high chemical reactivity of zGNR edges can lead to instability or uneven doping. Furthermore, in narrower zGNRs, the strong antiferromagnetic coupling of edge states can make it difficult to detect their magnetic signals electrically. These factors hinder direct detection of the magnetism in zGNRs.   ZGNRs embedded in the hBN lattice exhibit higher edge stability and feature an inherent electric field, creating ideal conditions for detecting the magnetism of zGNRs. In the study, the team used CIQTEK's Room-Temperature SNVM to observe the magnetic signals of zGNRs directly at room temperature.   Figure 1: Magnetic measurement of zGNR embedded in a hexagonal boron nitride lattice using Scanning Nitrogen-vacancy Microscope   In electrical transport measurements, the fabricated approximately 9-nanometer-wide zGNR transistors demonstrated high conductivity and ballistic transport characteristics. Under the influence of a magnetic field, the device exhibited significant anisotropic magnetoresistance, with a magnetoresistance change of approximately 175 Ω at 4 K, a magnetoresistance ratio of about...